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Sunshine Through the Rain (First Dream) by Akira Kurosawa


Unfolding in a series of eight mythic vignettes, this late work by Akira Kurosawa was inspired by the beloved director’s own nighttime visions, along with stories from Japanese folklore. In a visually sumptuous journey through the master’s imagination, tales of childlike wonder give way to apocalyptic apparitions: a young boy stumbles on a fox wedding in a forest; a soldier confronts the ghosts of the war dead; a power plant meltdown smothers a seaside landscape in radioactive fumes. Interspersed with reflections on the redemptive power of creation, including a richly textured tribute to Vincent van Gogh (who is played by Martin Scorsese), Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams is both a showcase for its maker’s artistry at its most unbridled and a deeply personal lament for a world at the mercy of human ignorance.
It was made five years after Ran, with assistance from George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and funded by Warner Bros. The film was screened out of competition at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival.

Sunshine Through The Rain
There is an old legend in Japan that states that when the sun is shining through the rain, the kitsune (foxes) have their weddings (this is a common theme globally – see sunshower). In this first dream, a boy defies the wish of a woman, possibly his mother, to remain at home during a day with such weather. From behind a large tree in the nearby forest, he witnesses the slow wedding procession of the kitsune. Unfortunately, he is spotted by the foxes and runs home. The same woman meets him at the front door, barring the way, and says that an angry fox had come by the house, leaving behind a tantō knife. The woman gives the knife to the boy and tells him that he is supposed to commit suicide. She says that he must go and beg forgiveness from the foxes, although they are known to be unforgiving, refusing to let him in unless he does so. She warns that if he does not secure their forgiveness, he must take his own life. Taking the knife, the boy sets off into the mountains, towards the place under the rainbow in search for the kitsune's home.

Kurosawa built a near exact replica of his childhood home for this segment, and the nameplate on the gate even reads "Kurosawa". Kurosawa even showed the actress playing the mother a photo of his own mother, and gave her tips on how to act as her.



Film Analysis:
'Sunshine through the rain’ is a screenplay loaded with highly evocative visuals. There is an old legend in Japan that states that when the sun is shining through the rain, the foxes hold their weddings. A boy defies the wish of his mother, to remain at home during that day with such weather. From behind a large tree in the nearby forest, he witnesses the slow wedding procession of the Foxes. Unfortunately, he is spotted by the foxes and he runs away. The fox man who is angry goes to the childs house and hand his mother to commit suicide. The child goes to the village of foxes in hope of forgiveness .The fusion of myth and reality makes the cinema a different experience with social and psychological overtones.


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